Agony and Redemption
by AlexJ69
Summary: Genesis agrees to return to Shin-Ra to be cured of the degradation, however before he's reinstated, he is to receive Sephiroth's punishment for going AWOL. AU. Rated for sex in later chapter. Warnings inside
1. Chapter 1

_**Authors: AlexJ69 (Genesis) Whiskey (Sephiroth)**_

_**Disclaimer: Nope, not ours.**_

_**Rating: NC-17**_

_**Pairings: Sephiroth/Genesis**_

_**Warnings: Violence, abuse, hurt/comfort, angst, sadism, eventual make-up sex**_

_**Summary: Genesis pays for his betrayal of Shinra in blood.**_

_**A/N: This story was originally going to be just a one shot; however, we didn't want to drop a 10 thousand word fic on you guys, so we split it in half. There will be hardcore, graphic smut in the next installment of this story.**_

The cool, predawn breeze was gradually being defeated by morning heat, the precursor to yet another scorching day that would confiscate breath and cause discomfort for the citizens of Midgar. Already the general of the mightiest army on the globe could feel prickles of perspiration bead around his collar; they were ignored as he watched the battle in the sky above him. The sun, giver of all life on the planet, clashed and maneuvered against the inky, black clouds of pollution that hung overhead, choking the metropolis in a grimy darkness that refused to abate. Every morning, for as long as the silver haired warrior had been alive, the bright, orange ball of gas at the center of the galaxy lost its struggle.

Sephiroth had been a statue atop the roof of the Shinra tower since sometime before pitch black rolled into light gray, his only company the backdrop of glowing green Mako, jetting forth into the firmament, belched out of the mouths of reactors. Contemplation of the day's later events caused his stomach to tighten, a feeling the general had to gain the upper hand against, or else he could fail in the task before him. In many ways, he had been waiting weeks for this day, yet at the same time, dreading it to the core of his being.

Finally breaking his gaze from the scenery and sighing a wind of regret, the silver general exited the rooftop and started for his destination. The time was at hand. Time for vindication, time for the absolution of Genesis' crimes against Shinra, against humanity, but most importantly, against Sephiroth himself.

Genesis didn't grasp how big of an impact his desertion of Shinra had made on the entirety of SOLDIER. Though prideful, the redheaded general, second in command to Sephiroth himself, didn't know how adored – almost worshiped – he was by his subordinates and peers. He didn't comprehend how his leaving had affected the company or the population that idolized him. _He didn't bother to take me into consideration,_ Sephiroth thought, footfalls heavier than he intended as he marched down the stairs of the mega-complex. _What good is such pride when one can't see the effects it has on the world around?_

The director of the program and illegitimate son of President Shinra, Lazard Deusericus, had been beside himself with anxiety over the future of the program. His own position in Shinra was now shaky, his job and livelihood possibly threatened. And he was just one of the people Genesis' transgressions influenced.

Angeal, Genesis' best friend and childhood companion, had thrown himself headlong into his work, much like Sephiroth had, accepting any and all missions he could get his hands on, especially the ones to Wutai. When he wasn't away from headquarters working (and looking for Genesis, Sephiroth knew only too well), he was spending his free time with his 'puppy', and though SOLDIER Second Class Zackary Fair was no Genesis, the boy seemed a suitable replacement, at least in Sephiroth's eyes. The training of the kid took Angeal's mind off his missing best friend, for a while anyway.

However, the person who felt Genesis' absence the most, the one becoming cold and distant, reverting back to a time before he had friends or a lover, was the general. For his entire life he had been alone, existing in his solitude, wearing his silence as protective armor, refusing to reveal his humanity to any of his peers. That is, until the day a redhead had forced his way into the silver warrior's life. Genesis would not stand for Sephiroth's silence, would not allow his hero to close him out or push him away. He took every opportunity he could to claw beneath Sephiroth's skin, making his presence known and felt, and finally, he wormed his way into the silver general's heart and bed.

Sephiroth's rage grew as he watched Angeal, Lazard and the others suffer. His own heartache over the loss of his lover had become unbearable, though it never once touched his face. Once more he was obfuscating himself in stoic quiet, trusting the only council he had left to keep: his own.

Walls around his emotions were being rebuilt, allowing the emptiness that he was raised with to seep back into the spot once occupied by Genesis. It had gotten to the point where he merely went through the motions of his day to day routine, speaking only when an order needed to be issued or someone engaged him in conversation first, but even then, he kept the conversation minimal, clipped and short.

As the days wore on, work and training became his first priority. He kept himself busy so he could no longer wonder why his beautiful redhead had abandoned him. He had only wanted to forget and move on.

However, today, out in the sizzling heat, under an unforgiving sun, all the pain and heartbreak was ending. All the worries about the future and questions as to why could be put to rest. Today was the day of Rhapsodos' punishment, the day he would bleed for his sins, the day Sephiroth would take revenge. Not just for Angeal and all other First, Second and Third classes who sought to be like Genesis, but for himself.

The steps he took between the Shinra building and the small patch of forest outside the city gave Sephiroth even more time than he already had to contemplate what was about to transpire. Suspended by wrists, rope biting into his soft pale skin, Genesis would be waiting. He would be dangling from a rough, possibly Mako-infused elm, in no way anxious to see Sephiroth and his whip, Sephiroth and his Masamune, his leather, his armor, and his anguish.

The meeting had been agreed upon by all parties; Shinra would have one of their Firsts back, the media's questions as to where the third of the trio had disappeared to would cease, Sephiroth would be given his lover, best friend and revenge, and Genesis would retain his rank, title and most importantly, his life. There was only one catch; Genesis would be punished for going AWOL. His discipline was to be a quiet affair, one which only a few people knew about, but it had to be harsh enough so that the redhead would never err again. When the suggestion of twenty-one lashes with a whip was brought to the table, there were no objections; not even the auburn angel voiced a negative opinion.

Moving into the tangle of green vegetation, Sephiroth could feel a pit where his emotions had melted into liquid rage, cooled over a period of months, and congealed back into the wound that became a void. All would be well come sundown; all would be forgiven. But until then, blood would spill and tears would fall.

"Is he ready?" Sephiroth asked the infantryman who had been standing guard of the area and was now walking at his side. The shorter, helmeted-man nodded, pointing with his rifle at a partially nude man who was barely visible from outside the forest. Thick trees and wide, brownish thorn bushes hid all but crimson locks. "Hm," Sephiroth snorted, and advanced on the prisoner, slashing underbrush and brambles with Masamune in order to hasten his progress.

"Genesis." The name was a hiss on Sephiroth's lips as he stopped right behind the shirtless SOLDIER, who was clad only in his leather pants and knee-high boots. The auburn angel's red-leather jacket had been stripped from him, and was hanging on branch, alongside the rest of his clothes, leaving the redhead's lightly bronzed skin to shine in the morning sun.

Heavy silence was rent asunder by the sounds of nature while elongated, wordless moments passed between the two legendary fighters. The silver warrior granted himself permission to swallow down a sight which had been absent for far too long. Jade eyes roamed over taut, well sculpted, muscular arms, straining against their bindings, only to move to the flesh of Genesis' freckled back, sweat-soaked from cruel yellow rays. Cinnamon and rust hued silken hair, now peppered with alabaster, lay plastered against the SOLDIER's head; Sephiroth longed to run his fingers through it, but for this task, kept his desire in check. Then moving with the grace and swiftness only one of his caliber could achieve, he stood in front of the captive.

Genesis, whose patience could rival that of a five-year-old screaming at his mother for candy, was already bored with waiting. He was tugging at his binds, not trying to escape, but to keep himself occupied. He wished Sephiroth would hurry up. But leave it to his lover to add to his misery by taking his sweet time arriving.

The redhead had accepted this form of punishment for desertion, it being the easiest and quickest way, save death, to be reprimanded while SOLDIER saved face. However, as the minutes slowly trickled by, his nerves caused the knots in his abdomen to painfully clench.

Genesis hadn't resisted the trio of Thirds when they had shown up earlier this morning to retrieve him. He had been given a choice by Sephiroth, by Shinra; either die of the degradation, or return to Shinra, take his licks, keep his rank and be healed. Genesis didn't hesitate when the offer was made. He didn't want to die; he loved being him too much to die.

Mako-enhanced hearing informed the auburn angel when Sephiroth had arrived; his stomach rolled. He sucked down a few deep breaths to remain calm. This was the part he dreaded, the part he prayed Sephiroth wouldn't go through with. He knew better, though. Sephiroth had been given an objective to fulfill, and that was exactly what his silver lover would do.

It took a will of iron to keep his features neutral and deny the elation that eased the tension inside him when he came face to face with his lover. True, he had seen his silver general on numerous occasions since deserting his position, but it had been different then. They had been enemies, though never once had Sephiroth raised a weapon to him. And he alone, knowing his lover as he did, could see the questions in those cat-slitted emerald eyes, could see the pain of being discarded, when no other could look past the frigid, stoic countenance. Now, they were allies again, and Genesis wanted this nasty business concluded so he could once again be held in his lover's strong arms.

"Sephiroth." Genesis greeted in return, tone washed with melody, yet the icy glare he received from his commanding officer caused him to recoil. The fury radiating from Sephiroth was close enough to the surface that he could see the red aura if he looked hard enough, could smell the electric anger shooting off in palpable waves. The crimson fighter's thought, as he was the first to break eye contact, _I'm sorry I screwed up so badly._

There was no room in pride, Genesis' weakness and downfall, to make allotments for the begging of forgiveness, even if it meant staying the silver general's hand from carrying out the lashing. True forgiveness would be granted by Sephiroth only once it was earned.

Sephiroth noted how dull the sapphire eyes that pulled away from him were. It was another sign of the degradation, and added another layer on top of his already enraged heart. Blame was not placed on Genesis for this sickness, but as Sephiroth could not untangle his emotions, placing where each one belonged, the auburn angel would pay for that too.

"You have no right to say my name," Sephiroth suddenly snapped. "I am your General. Until this is concluded, I accept no emotional appeals, no names without titles. You will refer to me as General or Sir, you disgraceful monster." The rage was pouring out now, a steady flow of energy that pushed him forward, gave him the power to begin. The words were designed to hurt as badly as the whip.

An audible groan issued from Genesis when Sephiroth referred to him as a monster. Did he not understand that that was the reason he left in the first place? His first impulse was to scream at his lover, to thrash and kick; anything to make Sephiroth see that he was not a monster. "Oh, that's a good one, Seph. And here I thought you'd come up with something more original. Allow me to describe how monstrous I truly am. In Banora, I killed my father first, stabbed Rapier right through his breaking heart. I left my sword in his chest until finally the last bits of blood stopped spraying my face. My mother was on her knees the whole time, weeping, clinging to my shins, pleading with me to cease my madness. With her, I was much more gentle. I plunged Rapier into her as I had done my father, but her I held against me until she breathed her last breath." Even bound, Genesis could still pull off his flair for dramatics; his hands moved against the ropes, emphasizing his speech, head moving animatedly. "So, Sephiroth... call me a monster if you will, but be sure you are judging me by my deeds and not by the dead cells eating away at my body."

Sephiroth backhanded Genesis, not for what he'd done to his parents, but because Genesis had already broken one of his rules by using his given name. The shocking blow snapped the redhead's face to the side, as emotions he usually had a tight rein on, now spilled over. He left an angry, red blotch, and a few streaks of blood flowed down already ruby lips; then Sephiroth went around and stood by his right side. Flashing Masamune at his former lover, to show that at this moment they were still enemies, to let sink in the fact that the circle of trust had been broken, to send fear shivering through bronzed skin, Sephiroth turned his attention to the infantryman and growled. "Leave. I will call if you are to return."

The terrified man ran off, not bothering to look back. Sephiroth, now barren of feelings, raised the whip. The evil device was only three feet long, but made of braided leather. Without warning, he brought it down across the center of Genesis' back. A crack and a yelp were given in response. "Genesis… soon, you will be begging for forgiveness."

The yelp brought out by the whip was one more of surprise than pain. There was a part of Genesis, the more romantic side of his nature, that had honestly believed that Sephiroth wouldn't follow the orders to deliver the lashes.

"Beg?" Genesis' teeth were clinched together. "Oh, you are mistaken, General." The red angel winced, fingers clinging to the ropes binding him, as his superior lashed him again. He would not give the war god the pleasure of hearing him beg. "The days... of my... begging..." he panted through the pain, "are... over."

Sephiroth glared hotly at Genesis, but knew it would take much more than just two cracks of leather to break him. Raising the whip again, he let it crack down on each of Genesis' shoulders in turn, then his lower back, then the spot where he knew Genesis' huge black wing extended from. For a minute he wished the man's wing would come out, as he knew well that that was one of the most sensitive places on the redhead's body. He imagined himself tearing the feathers from the bloody white skin, ugly where it connected to the bone, ugly without the lovely black plumage. Ugly because they were monstrous. Experiments. Because somewhere inside him, he and Genesis were one and the same.

After a few more strikes to those lovely shoulder blades, Genesis' back was red, swollen and bleeding, and Sephiroth went to stand before him, to see his reaction. "You are buying your life from me with your blood, Genesis." When in the mood, Sephiroth could be just as dramatic as the auburn angel; it was a skill he'd learned from the man. "Tell me," the general murmured as he latched onto his lover's slumped head and wrenched it up so he could look down into the man's tear-reddened eyes, "How much more do you require, to feel the pain I feel… Genesis?"

Genesis' muscles were twitching under his skin, glistening with sweat; his entire back stung and burned where flesh had been split. His chin was resting on his chest now that Sephiroth had released his hair, his rusty cinnamon locks plastered to his forehead and cheeks.

Every time the whip had come down to leave another mark on his usually flawless skin, he would do no more than grunt. No, Sephiroth would not have the satisfaction of a scream, though he had almost gotten one when the silver general sliced the area of his wing. No, no scream, not when Genesis had been correct to leave Shinra.

He forced his frosty, blue gaze to look at his lover; his eyes were shot through with red, the skin around them puffy, and his bottom lip was bleeding from biting to struggle against a sound. He shivered and swallowed hard. There was a certain amount of fear etched in his features; Genesis would never lie about being somewhat fearful of Sephiroth. Yet, there was something else Sephiroth didn't understand. He didn't realize how intimate the very act he was performing was. It has often been said that there is a fine line between pleasure and pain, and right now, SOLDIER First Class Genesis was coming to realize just where that boundary lay. The act in and of itself, with the panting, the moaning, the giving and taking, the release of body fluids, was almost... sexual, and Genesis could not stop himself from being aroused, at least mentally.

"Oh, Healer of Worlds," the tied beauty whispered, "you haven't the faintest clue on Gaia as to the pain I've suffered." He straightened his back and held his head high. His pride was something not even the mighty Sephiroth could steal, and now that he'd given himself a few moments to give into his weakness, his agony, and his fears, he was about to stand tall again. "Yet you wish for me to take your pain and anger as well." Genesis had to inhale deeply to stop his body from shaking. "Very well, friend. I accept your torment." The infamous smirk came to curl Genesis' bloody red lips, glowing blue eyes issuing a challenge. "Hurt me, Sephiroth." He used the general's name, this time just to piss him off.

"Insolent traitor!" Sephiroth barked, and with a force no human could muster, cracked the whip down on Genesis' left shoulder. He had seen the tight-lipped expression the SOLDIER had given off when his wing joint had been rent open, and now Sephiroth would hear that very scream he wanted to hear, anguish that Genesis alone would suffer for rending his soul.

"Not enough? Hurt you?" Sephiroth's tone had transformed from white-hot fury, to cold, quiet, darkly fatal rage. Emerald eyes flashed and the general repositioned Masamune, pricking Genesis' skin with the tip and dragging the steel blade down the back of the angel's left shoulder. He ended the incision at the waistline of his lover's pants, leaving a bloody exclamation point in its place. "I will have you weeping when I am through, or you will rot, from the very inside out," Sephiroth spat. "Is that clear? Say, 'Yes, my General,' or you'll have another." He flashed the bloody tip of his sword at Genesis, a clear mockery of the man's own sword.

Genesis hadn't meant to push Sephiroth to this extreme. Damn his mouth and damn his pride, especially when staring down the enraged Demon of Wutai. He should have known the general would take it to the next level with him. He briefly wondered if he would still love the man after this.

Molten lava fried his nerve endings when the tip of that wicked, hard length of metal sliced open his flesh. Refraining from screaming was no longer an option; not when the sharp point of Masamune slid over the spot where his wing protruded from. His head fell back and a sound that could shatter glass tore from his throat. All sounds of wildlife halted when that noise reverberated though the small forest patch. The auburn angel arched his back, trying his best to escape the source of his torment.

By the time Sephiroth stepped back to admire his handiwork, Genesis' frame was trembling, and a soft whimper was spilling from his lips. His shoulders were slumped, and his chest was heaving. "Y-yes... my general," Genesis finally whispered when he had drawn down enough air to push out words.

There were only two thoughts dominating Genesis' mind at this point. One: he wanted to be released from his bonds, and taken out of these damned woods, and two: most importantly, he wanted Sephiroth to cradle his hurt body and kiss away all the pain. He wanted Sephiroth to tell him it was over now and that everything was going to be all right.

However, the ending was nowhere near, and he knew it as soon as a different kind of pain racked his body, the one he should have been expecting. It was at the moment he had given in to Sephiroth's demands, that his goddess damned wing decided to make itself present. It always came out in moments of intense physical stimulation. _Fuck!_

A dark grin broke out across Sephiroth's features. "That's right. I am your general, aren't I?" The silver warrior's own ego poked through his cold demeanor momentarily. He sheathed Masamune, satisfied with the display it had caused. He patted the handle affectionately. "But we are not finished yet, Genesis," he murmured silkily, circling around to touch the large, feathery wing. Even through his glove he could feel the soft smoothness of the ebony down. The world at large never knew their silver hero's propensity for cruelty; he would claim it wasn't cruelty but callousness – Genesis would disagree.

Displaying no mercy, he grabbed a fistful of feathers in his left hand and ripped them out, tossing them in the air, allowing them to flutter down in front of Genesis' face, bloody quills the most brutal of taunts. He repeated this three more times, until there seemed to be a pattern of abuse on Genesis' wing, in precisely the right places to prohibit flight until they grew back. They would put him off balance just enough that if he tried to escape when Sephiroth released him, he would crash to the ground. He then came around to face the redhead again, walking slowly, tossing back a waterfall of silver hair, tickling Genesis' bloody cheek with it. "Ready to beg yet, my beautiful traitor?"

_Oh, Gaia! No, Seph... please no. You have no idea how much this fucking wing hurts_. Genesis' mind shrieked thoughts into words, but a long, piercing vowel was the only noise his mouth accomplished.

Sephiroth did know how much pain his actions caused his lover, which was exactly why he did them. The auburn angel screamed repeatedly for Sephiroth every time the silver warrior yanked out his plumage. Tears mingling with sweat poured from the corner of Rhapsodos' eyes and his frame began to quake.

Sephiroth's torture on the feathered appendage finally ran its course, but by the time it was over, Genesis lacked the strength to keep his legs from caving under his weight, arms suspended by rope the only object keeping him upright.

A feeble motion of the head, and a pitiful, "P-please... G-g-general... stop," sucked away the last of Genesis' reserves.

Sephiroth accepted the plea and nodded, a quiet snort emitting from his nose. "Hm." With one quick stroke of Masamune, he slashed the ropes holding the auburn angel to the tree, and the SOLDIER collapsed to the earthen ground, curling up instinctively in agony.

Sephiroth felt all his rage drain from him, the red of his vision replaced by the true colors of the forest, as he saw Genesis weeping, pride shattered, wing drooping pathetically, a shadow of his earlier self.

Taking Genesis' clothes from the tree in one hand, he grabbed the redhead's elbow and, hefting him up, he swung Genesis' arm over his shoulders, and put his own arm around Genesis' hips, somehow managing to avoid the bloody gashes.

It was time to bring his lover home. Penance had been paid, sins forgiven with blood, and now it was time to come back to Shinra, back to Sephiroth, to be returned to life.


	2. Chapter 2

_**Disclaimer :: Definitely not ours  
**_

_**Authors:: AlexJ69 (Genesis) Whiskey(Sephiroth)**_

_**Rating :: NC-17  
**_

_**Pairing :: Sephiroth/Genesis  
**_

_**Warnings :: References to violence and abuse of the first chapter, angst, yaoi, oral, anal, language, dirty talk, wingkink **_

Forgiveness – for Genesis, it was something bought and paid for with blood and pride. Life? The worth of his was measured by the lacerations crisscrossing his back, leaving bloodied skin stripped from muscle, ribbons of flesh barely hanging by a thread. And dignity? Dignity was merely a concept that had been trampled on when Sephiroth's fingers tore out his feathers, leaving red and black quills scattered at his feet.

Genesis did not begrudge his lover these things. He had readily accepted his punishment. Atonement was purchased and now he could use the body of his tormentor as a crutch. Together, they made their way home.

Silence passed between them as they took step by agonizingly slow step out of the woods and across the barren expanse of land toward Midgar. Genesis didn't need to ask why a transport hadn't been called; he knew the ride would be more arduous than walking. Every slight bump would rattle the truck, and send new waves of pain up his back. So, clinging to his torturer, his lover, drawing small reserves of strength from the limitless pool that the silver general supplied, the auburn angel mutely wept. There was no longer any shame in bestowing on Sephiroth his tears and he cried until they reached the sky-darkened metropolis.

The return trip for Sephiroth was no less painstaking. Streaks of crimson fluid, onyx feathers covering the ground, screams reverberating in his ears, and the shattering of an ego were the repeating imagery in his mind. The general did not once question whether Genesis had deserved the punishment, of course he had—the redhead did nothing that wasn't prompted by arrogance. However, when the silent sobs didn't abate on the way home, he had to resist the urge to carry his lover the rest of the way. He had already stomped on Genesis' pride; there was no reason to add insult.

The people in the slums gaped open-mouthed at the sight of the two heading toward the Sector 1 platform. Ignoring them, one general clutching the other, they continued their trek. Not long after, they were housed inside the mega-structure they had called home for years now. The journey for the red warrior was wrought in a hazy fog, and though he tried to quell the flow of liquid streaming from his dull, sapphire eyes, the stinging in his back – especially his wing – made it nearly impossible.

Sephiroth brought Genesis into the elevator, narrow gaze glaring daggers at anyone who dared to even look at them the wrong way. The businesspeople in the metal box immediately scurried out when they saw the General and Rhapsodos enter. Sephiroth hit the button for the floor where he lived, and helped Genesis into his apartment, shutting the door behind them.

Genesis' mind registered the familiar comforts of home as soon as he entered the air-conditioned apartment. A steel-gray, velvet upholstered couch, alongside the matching loveseat and armchair, brought ease to a fractured soul, and a cherry-wood coffee table, which had been replaced three times now due to love-making not quite reaching the bedroom, almost brought a smile to his parched, blood-stained lips. The auburn angel relished the amenities that signaled that it was over, his punishment complete. With relief, Genesis sank to the floor, and laid belly first so he might find some reprieve in the cool, overly plush cream carpeting.

His lover was no sooner face down than Sephiroth bee-lined straight for his materia cabinet. Once he had the Curaga stone he sought, he returned to the auburn angel. Dropping to his knees, the silver general began to delicately twine his fingers through his injured lover's white peppered locks as the curative magic repaired the cross-latticed gashes that were the redhead's back. When the spell was complete, Sephiroth rose and eased Genesis back to his feet. "Into the bath," he said softly, guiding his boyfriend into the bathroom.

Genesis' tears had yet to dry, not only because of the ghostly, lingering pain that still played upon his nerves, but because he had been humiliated. His life had not been bought and paid for with merely his blood, but his dignity had been extinguished... at least for now. A quality that one never associated with Genesis – meekness – was displayed as the auburn angel followed the silver general.

The redhead submissively cooperated when Sephiroth removed his knee-high buckled boots, tight black-leather pants and scarlet bikini briefs. Genesis, a man who existed on impulse and acquiescing to his own desires, employed different stances during his slow advancing stage of undress, forcing his lover to make direct contact with his nude physique. And to Genesis, it seemed as if Sephiroth enjoyed how he maneuvered his body, seeing as how his fingers loitered against his skin for extra-long minutes.

Maybe the general understood Genesis' reaction to mean he wasn't angry over his harsh punishment?

Once Sephiroth had the redhead nude, he retreated from him to draw a bath. While water filled porcelain and the room fogged with swirling steam, the silver-locked warrior detached himself from his own clothing. When he was nude, he took a step and brought Genesis into his arms, vowing to handle Genesis with great care, likening him to a priceless, delicate doll that one treated gently, showing a certain amount of reverence.

It wasn't until this moment, when Genesis was so malleable to his touch, did Sephiroth begin to ache for what his hands had wrought. Though not ready to verbalize the words that sought clemency for his role as Shinra's avenger, Sephiroth felt the gnawing pangs of shame twisting his gut. He had taken revenge, but not pleasure, with his earlier actions. Cradling the redhead, Sephiroth wished only to end his lover's tears.

Genesis willed his tears to cease and pulled free of the embrace. He met his lover's piercing green gaze and locked onto it, holding those eyes in place for a while before deciding how next to proceed. The auburn angel fervently prayed not to cause a fight, he was too weak and emotionally drained to fight; however, now that he was healed, he needed to voice his opinion about what had just happened.

"Sephiroth," the name was said in a whisper, but as always, Genesis' tone was melodic, "I agreed to the whip, I didn't struggle. I didn't fight, or try to escape. Those were the terms set forth by the president, the board, and yourself. However, you tearing out my feathers was an on-the-spot amendment." Genesis dropped his pale, blue stare, unable to look at his lover any longer. "You hurt me, Sephiroth. You hurt me a lot. Did you really have to take it to that extreme?" Without waiting for assistance or a reply, he entered the tub.

Sephiroth, unsure of what to say, stepped into the hot water with Genesis. Being General had its perks, one of them being a bathtub large enough for not just one, but two six-foot towering SOLDIERs to fit in. The hurt look on Genesis' face cut him. He may have relished Genesis' screams while the act was in progress, but he knew he would never grow immune to the sight of the aftermath. The silver warrior inhaled and exhaled slowly before replying, "Did you have to leave Shinra? Did you have to attack Zack Fair? Did you have to worry Angeal out of his _mind_?"

The general felt a quiet rage fill him once again. How dare Genesis question his actions? Rhapsodos was the one who left them behind, was the one who attacked them, made himself the enemy. Even naked, Sephiroth was a frightening figure, and as he grabbed the bar of Shinra military supply soap from behind him and gestured for Genesis to turn around and have his back scrubbed clean of blood, he couldn't resist pressing against that thin trace of a scar on Genesis' shoulder. "Did you ever once think of someone other than yourself? Did you think about the consequences? Shinra needs you. SOLDIER needs you. Director Lazard needs you... I need you." That last part was slip on Sephiroth's part. He never wanted to admit to needing anybody.

Genesis drew his knees to his chest and stretched into Sephiroth's touch. The warm water splashing against his bruised and sore body was a little piece of heaven, easing the tension out of the strained muscle, almost lolling him to sleep. The cure that had been applied didn't remove all the aches and pains – they never did – and there were parts of his back that were more tender than others. One particular area was the grove which allowed for the expansion of his feathery appendage. When the silver general's hand even ran slightly beside it, Genesis pulled away.

"Please Seph, no more. You've already damaged me enough there." The words were spoken with a gentleness expressing his exhaustion.

Sephiroth must have found it within himself to grant the auburn angel a small amount of leniency and removed his hand from suffering area of his wing so he might finish washing the filth from the rest of his lover's back. Genesis used the time to gather his thoughts; he knew Sephiroth wanted an answer and he wanted to give him the one that explained why he did what he did.

Had he been thinking of the others when he abandoned Shinra? How could he have not been? Leaving the tower, his friends and his lover had been the hardest, most terrifying thing he'd ever experienced; it was even harder than leaving his home in Banora. Shinra had become his life. And the day he had walked away from his post, he had done so with a heavy heart and tears streaming down his face.

Once he was clean, the redhead leaned against Sephiroth's chest, allowing his lover to hold him. He needed the affection right now, so badly yearned for the attention. And when he answered, he did so slowly, hoping to make Sephiroth understand.

"Sephiroth," he began, as he took the general's pale arm and wrapped it around his torso, "when you ask if I was thinking of Angeal, Lazard, Zack, you..." He allowed his head to fall back and rest against the strong shoulder of his boyfriend. "I ask you in return, how could I not think of all of you? Especially when I found out I was degrading. You and the others are the reason I fled. Oh, I admit freely my anger at Shinra for doing this to me. For killing me slowly in the name of science. But had I known of any other way, I would not have left."

Genesis turned his body to the side and contorted himself to fit perfectly against Sephiroth. "Seph... as we speak, I am dying. Until the surgery is performed and I am given your cells, I am rotting from inside. And it's painful. The day I left, I had to ask myself, did I really want you to watch me go through this? Did I stay with you and live out what was left of my pathetic life while you watched me fall apart, or did I go and die in silence, like an animal going off to their graveyard to rest in peace? I made the choice that I would not abide your sorrow as you looked at me with pity. Seph, if I hadn't walked away, we never would have known that you were the cure. And right now, you would be forcing _that_ smile on your lips, trying to convince me that everything would be fine, when we both know it would be a lie. So, ask me again, if I thought of anyone but myself… and I will answer, yes, I thought of all those that I loved."

The crimson warrior let his eyes flutter closed and merely kept himself tight in his lover's embrace.

Surprisingly, Sephiroth didn't touch the area of Genesis' back where the wing was known to spring from again, after the request. After what Genesis had said... he couldn't bring himself to hurt him anymore. He sat there in silence, still hurt, still angry, but the emotions were fading. He wrapped his arms tightly around Genesis, and pressed his face into the smaller man's shoulder.

The silver general had planned a retort for whatever Genesis had come up with for an answer… a retort for anything but that. There was nothing to be said to his lover's speech. Sephiroth could only release what had been bottled up for so long. It felt strange to feel… empty like this. He had held on to his rage for what felt like years and years, rage against Shinra, rage against himself, rage against Genesis. But the truth was, without Genesis and Shinra, where would he be? And now all of that anger had dissipated with every crack of the whip.

Sephiroth leaned back slightly to look at the scar Masamune had given his lover. "I… did this to you." He didn't run his fingers along it, as per Genesis' request, but he stared at it, as if he didn't believe it existed. "Genesis… I…" He couldn't apologize, not when he had felt like he was in the right, felt abandoned yet again by the closest thing he ever had to family or someone who cared… but…

"I missed you. It was agony."

"I missed you too. And Sephiroth... I forgive you. For doing your job. For being an ass. For all the past mistakes." Genesis let his smirk touch his face, turning up his lips only on one side, to let the general know that it was now okay to lighten up. That they didn't have to stay suspended in this place they were in.

The red warrior didn't have it in him for any more angst. He was tired of hiding, of making war against those he loved, of hurting and being hurt. He was exactly where he had longed to be for that last few months, and he had vowed to himself when he was taken into the forest this morning, once his penance had been paid, he would release the past and look to a new future. His future with Sephiroth.

Moving before Sephiroth could take offense, Genesis straddled his commander's lap, molding himself against a body he was all too familiar and comfortable with. Running his fingers though the silver general's hair, Genesis eased Sephiroth's head back and stared down into his emerald eyes. Eyes he loved so much. Eyes that he could get lost in for hours.

"Seph…" He whispered the name, which no longer had a negative connotation to it, and Genesis let the word roll off his tongue in adoration. "I'm glad to be home."

He leaned down, beads of water dripping from his skin to coat Sephiroth's ivory face, and Genesis' lips lightly grazed across the soft flesh he came in contact with.

"Show me how much you missed me."

Sephiroth nodded, afraid to speak, and not about to forgive Genesis for making him feel empty, but it didn't seem to matter as the gorgeous redhead wrapped his legs around him and pressed his lips to first Sephiroth's forehead, then his lips, delicately speaking into his skin. "Genesis," he panted slightly, fingers losing themselves in auburn hair, and Sephiroth growled as he pulled his lover into perhaps the fiercest kiss they had ever shared. A muffled moan, and lips opened to take Sephiroth's tongue, demanding and needy. Afraid to touch Genesis' back, Sephiroth instead gripped his lover's ass, giving it a gentle spank as he groaned at the feeling of Genesis kissing him back, of the taste of someone he had missed so very much. He tugged slightly at the hair—even on his best days, Sephiroth was a rough lover—and bit Genesis' bottom lip, cock pulsing into hardness at the memory of all the times they had kissed like this, all the times Genesis had whimpered at his touch. And now he was here, he was back, and the past be damned.

The general pushed the angel into the wall, seating him on the edge of the bathtub, and tore away from the kiss to immediately drop down between the warrior's thighs. Spreading his lover's legs, he took Genesis' half-hard prick in hand and squeezed gently. "To make up for earlier," he explained, as he bent forward and took the redhead's cock between his parted lips, the motion slow and sensual. His tongue traced the pulsing veins from the base to the sensitive head, all the while an appreciative moan lingered in the back of Sephiroth's throat. One hand restrained Genesis by pressing against the center of his chest, the other teasingly stroking Genesis' cock as Sephiroth drew the head into his mouth, eyes closing to better enjoy the taste, the sensation, the knowledge that Genesis was with him once again, never to leave again. The auburn angel was going to be saved. He deep-throated the red general in one stroke, swallowing around him, dragging sounds of pleasure out of Genesis to erase the memory of his cries of pain.

Genesis entwined his fingers though his lover's hair, pushing down slightly, demanding the silver demon to take more of him. Dear Gaia, how he had missed Sephiroth's touch! He still remembered unbearably long, agony-filled nights, when he would snake his hand down his pants and grip his own cock, trying to pretend he was still with Sephiroth, that he had never left, that his body was intact and healthy. He would imagine that his fingers were Sephiroth's fingers or mouth, and he would pull himself, hard and fast, forcing an orgasm out, crying out Sephiroth's name, just to feel some sort of pleasure in a body trapped and tormented by pain.

Now, after all he had endured, after all _they_ had endured, here they were, both fighting to forget a tortured past, wanting nothing more than to bring pleasure to one another, in the easiest way they knew how.

Genesis groaned while Sephiroth's mouth was enveloping his cock, tongue lapping at the baby-soft skin. "Ah... Seph..." he whimpered, bucking his hips, needing to feel more of that heat. After a while of Sephiroth bobbing his head up and down his shaft, Genesis used the general's hair to still him.

Using the mane of silver silk like a leash, Genesis held the general's head tight, and began thrusting hard into his mouth, fucking the beautiful man's face.

Sweat mixed with water, causing Genesis to glisten under the harsh, white light of the bathroom, his blue eyes aglow with Mako tinged lust, and his pink lips parted in an "O" as grunts and groans tumbled forth from him. He was shaking with desire, and Sephiroth could feel his sac tightening, his shaft twitching and quivering. Genesis was on the cusp of explosion.

"Seph... gonna... cum... please... let me..." Genesis was begging again. After all the sensations he'd experienced today, he wanted to push away the memories of being whipped and beaten by this man, and lose himself in the euphoria of his hot, wet body. "Sephiroth... want to... cum... down your throat." Of the two of them, Genesis was always the one most vocal with his passions, and when on the

verge of climax, he couldn't help voicing his lust.

Sephiroth's lips curled into a smile as he let Genesis have his way, opening his mouth wide. After all that he had endured, he deserved this, deserved everything Sephiroth could give him. The silver general hummed approvingly and teased between the red warrior's cheeks with his fingers, brushing against his skin, pushing one of the digits inside him. Another humming noise from the back of Sephiroth's throat signaled to Genesis that he was here to give and receive pleasure, not to play games.

Green eyes flickered up to look at his lover's face, contorted in pure ecstasy, and his own neglected cock throbbed urgently. Fingers eased in and out of Genesis, working and loosening him, then deftly rubbing against the spot inside Genesis' body that Sephiroth knew would convince his lover to let go.

Genesis had his head thrown back against the cool tiled wall, and was pumping his cock deep into Sephiroth's mouth when he felt fingers penetrate him. He was suddenly torn between continuing his thrusting motions and pushing his ass down against those wonderful, invading appendages. When Sephiroth's fingers swept against his hot, inner button, the red angel had no other option but to release between his boyfriend's eagerly awaiting lips. His fingers wound tighter into Sephiroth's hair, his entire body becoming rigid, and with one last, hard thrust, he came into the silver general's mouth.

"Seph... cumming... ah, fuck, Seph... please... _fuck… Sephiroth!"_

When the orgasm was finally over, Genesis slumped forward, taking deep gulps of air, waiting for his frame to stop trembling.

His climax-high finally ended, and he was able to move again. Careful not to remove Sephiroth's fingers from his still quivering entrance, the redhead slid down back into the warm water to straddle Sephiroth's lap once again. Grinding his hips against the fingers inside him, Genesis reached down between their bodies, and took Sephiroth's erection in his hand. He slowly began stroking the hardened flesh, pulling at a tempo that would bring a whimper to the general's lips.

"My love," Genesis whispered, his tone laced with excitement, "it's been far too long for us. Now... please?"

Gaia, he had missed his lover's dirty talk more than anything, the sound of his voice in orgasm, the volume, all of it. It was pure sensory overload, and as he felt Genesis come to a trembling orgasm, Sephiroth swallowed every last drop. He slowly, gently pulled off of the angel's shaft, continuing to thrust his fingers in and out of Genesis' body, in preparation for the most intense erection Sephiroth had had since Genesis had left Shinra. Genesis' hand found his cock, and he groaned slightly, bucking his hips.

Then he pulled his fingers out slowly, and stood, giving the redhead a filthy smirk. "Yes, far too long. The bedroom, now."

Genesis gave him a sharp look, warning not to tease him, and Sephiroth smiled. He held out a hand, and Genesis took it, standing up. Sephiroth pulled a towel out of a cupboard and towel-dried his redheaded lover from head to toe, enjoying mussing up his hair, then began to dry himself. "On your back, with your legs spread." Genesis obeyed, and Sephiroth tossed the towel on the ground, grabbing lube off of the counter and squeezing some onto his stiff cock. As he followed Genesis into the bedroom, he spread the lube all over himself with one hand, eyes on Genesis the entire time.

Sephiroth moved onto the bed, and within a few seconds was pressed up against his lover, kissing and biting his neck, growling, shaft lined up with Genesis' entrance.

"Could you… bring it out for me? I promise… this time, I will be gentle." With that, Sephiroth pushed into Genesis' body, just slightly past that tight ring of muscle, and extended his own huge, black, feathery wing without warning, slightly off balance but pleased to no longer have to hide it. He didn't have to hide from Genesis, one of the only people in the universe who didn't find him disgusting, shameful, monstrous.

"Touch it. Be rough, if you like. Show me there is no animosity between us. Show me you love me, Genesis." Sephiroth thrust in to the hilt, and remained there, panting for breath from the difficulty of holding back, waiting for Genesis to trust him completely once again.

Genesis gasped when Sephiroth's engorged tip pushed at his opening then split him wide. His fingers clutched the satin sheets of Sephiroth's bed, and a deep groan issued forth from him. Though the pair needed a lot of time to work on their emotional bond and strengthen it back up again, now would not be the moment for that. After all their time apart, one would think this would be a sweet, romantic love-making session, but Genesis knew better. This would be a rough, abrasive, animalistic coupling, with one goal: the re-acquaintance with each others' primal urges.

The auburn angel was reluctant to extend his wing again after what Sephiroth had already done to it. The downy appendage was still sore and aching. Then Sephiroth expanded his own wing, and were Genesis not about to have sex, he would have a lot more to say about the subject. As it was, he was only able to make out, "Seph... what is..." before Sephiroth was inside of him, and he was

groaning in ecstasy and torment.

The crimson SOLDIER had forgotten just how big the tool between his lover's legs was, and just how much time he needed to adjust. Genesis breathed in slowly, then released, willing his body to relax and give in to Sephiroth's ministrations. That really was an easier concept to grasp mentally then physically, considering that just a short time ago, the same man was releasing his rage by opening Genesis' flesh with a long piece of twisted, hardened leather.

"_Touch it. Be rough if you like. Show me there is no animosity between us. Show me you love me, Genesis."_ He took those words to heart, pondering them even as he forced his body to surrender. Yes, he still loved Sephiroth. He had never stopped loving him. Was he pissed about the whipping? Only slightly. He had come to terms with the fact that he would rather Sephiroth use him to target his rage, than neglect him, turn him away, and leave him to die alone.

Genesis finally caved. He would prove to the man that he loved more than anything, that he wasn't all _that_ angry, and he still trusted him. And above all, that he still loved him.

The second in command raised himself off his back to let his own wing unfurl and arched it so that it brushed Sephiroth's back, urging him even closer. Genesis then let go of the sheets and raised his hips slightly. With one hand he reached out and began to lightly stroke the feathers of Sephiroth's wing that were in touching distance, and the other he slid between their bodies, grasping his cock, easily bringing it back to hardness. He pushed back against Sephiroth with all he was worth.

"Seph, I still love you. I never stopped. So now are you gonna fuck me with that thing, or are we gonna just stay like this and get off to the fact that we both have wings? I myself vote that you fuck me like you hate me."

Sephiroth's eyes remained on the wing as it hesitantly came out and wrapped around his back, the softness tickling him, the evidence of earlier damage present but not off-putting. It was there, and that was all. The feathers would grow back, and be alive, whole again. Then long, elegant fingers traced Sephiroth's wing, and the general groaned.

His eyes narrowed at Genesis. "I love you as well, Genesis, but begging would have sufficed." Letting his own wing rest on the pillow behind Genesis' head, Sephiroth pulled out almost entirely, then slammed himself back in, watching Genesis roll those lovely hips beneath him, one hand pumping his shaft. "Stroke it while I fuck you," Sephiroth hissed, hips working his cock out and back in, at a pace that was rapidly gaining momentum. "Have you missed this, Genesis? Have you missed your general inside you? I… want to hear my name when… when you… gods, Gen…" he trailed off as the tightness of his lover's body overcame him, labored breathing and the occasional groan filling the air.

"I think... I've done... enough begging... Oh goddess, _yes!_" Genesis ground his hips in time with the silver general's thrusts. "Harder, Seph, I'm not a goddamn woman... fuck me like a whore." Genesis would slam back every time Sephiroth pushed forward. "Right there... oh, gods... fuck me just like that…" The auburn angel could feel every inch of Sephiroth's shaft splitting him apart, and now that the pressure had subsided, there was only pleasure. He continued to jerk his prick in rhythm to the general's movements, adding to the sensation of euphoria. He knew he was about to cum again.

"Seph... so fucking close... _harder,_ damn you!" Genesis' fingers entwined into Sephiroth's feathers and he was pulling, not really meaning to rip the black down out, but not really caring either.

"Oh... goddess… yes!" Genesis squealed when Sephiroth thrust hard against his sweet spot. _"Sephiroth!" _ Genesis cried out his name, like Seph had wanted. "I'm cumming... Seph! I love you!" the redhead screamed as his body jerked, and he shot his seed all over his hand, stomach and chest. Gods, how he loved his second orgasm. It was always better than the first, and for some reason, Sephiroth was the only one who could work two in a row out of him.

"Seph, my love," Genesis whispered when he was able to speak again, "I want you to cum inside me."

Sephiroth was growling now; Genesis' talking drove him on, made him want to thrust faster, harder, dragging an orgasm out of his dramatic lover. "Harder? You're such a slut, Gen—ah—" Seph moaned as he felt Genesis grabbing his wing and pulling. "Go ahead, rip me to shreds, just cum, cum for me—Genesis—I—" he growled, and continued to moan softly, thrusting as Genesis tightened around him, reaching orgasm, decorating his flushed skin with white. Sephiroth looked down at Genesis, who was wet, sweating and flushed, and thought he could almost cum just from the sight. "Gen—Genesis… gods… fuck!" he swore as he thrust in to the hilt one last time, filling Genesis with his own orgasm, just like he'd asked. One long, slow moan and he wrapped his arms around his lover, long, floating silver hair falling on his back, the wing contracting somewhat but remaining visible. "I love you too," he whispered. "I hope you know that that has never changed… not once."

Sephiroth smiled down at Genesis, who couldn't help but smirk, and then gently he pulled out and rolled over to lay beside the only human being he had ever loved. His eyes closed, and with the comforting presence of his lover, fell asleep.

The following morning, after peeling themselves out of each others' arms, the two legendary warriors headed down to the laboratory where the cell transfusion would be performed, where Genesis' life would be saved.


End file.
